Selected Podcast
Caring for a Colicky Baby
In this episode, pediatrician Jaqwiana Baker leads a discussion on how parents can best care for a colicky baby.
Featuring:
Jaqwiana Baker, MD
Jaqwiana Baker, MD is currently working at Prisma Health Pediatrics. Transcription:
Caitlin Whyte: The never ending crying of a colicky baby could drive any parent or guardian crazy. But our team at Prisma Health is here to help you out. Today we are joined by a pediatrician, Dr. Jaqwiana Baker, for some tips and tricks for caring for a colicky baby. This is Flourish, A podcast brought to you by Prisma Health. I'm Caitlin Whyte. So Dr. Baker to start us off today. Is it possible to spoil a newborn by picking them up whenever they cry?
Jaqwiana Baker, MD: Well, according to experts, you cannot spoil a baby by picking them up when they cry. Infants need constant attention, and so you wanna respond calmly and consistently to your baby's cries.
Caitlin Whyte: Gotcha. So why do infants cry?
Jaqwiana Baker, MD: Infants can cry for a lot of different reasons. As your baby grows, you will learn the difference in each type of cry that your baby may have. So some of the reasons could be one, being tired, sleepy, or overstimulated. So when babies are ready to go to bed or take a nap, they can often get fussy and cry. If babies are hungry, you will have a specific cry for that. If they are uncomfortable or in pain. So things like, Oh, I need to burp, or I have gas, or constipation. Those things make babies uncomfortable and they can cry for that. Also, you may have a cry if a baby is sick or has fever, and then one of the biggest things that we always worry about is colic. And that is also a specific cry in babies.
Caitlin Whyte: Well, in general, when babies are crying, whatever the reason, how can we calm a crying baby?
Jaqwiana Baker, MD: so The first thing in order to calm a crying baby is to make sure that you're calm yourself. So a baby kind of picks up cues off of their parents. And so if you're stressed, they're gonna be stressed too. But if they're crying, you can also try things like swaddling the baby in a blanket. You can try rocking them or even playing some white noise in the room to calm them.
Caitlin Whyte: So then when you try those things, what should you do if your baby still can't be soothed? Would this be considered colic?
Jaqwiana Baker, MD: colic by definition is if a baby is crying continuously for three or more hours. If your baby is crying, you've tried everything that you know how to do to calm them down, and a few hours go by. This is something you wanna get seen by a doctor for. Okay. And so we recommend if your baby's crying at least two hours or more each day or multiple days, you definitely wanna say, hey, it's time to take our baby in to see their pediatrician, just to make sure it's not colic or anything else such as any kind of illness.
Caitlin Whyte: Okay. Okay. So when it comes down to it, what is colic and what is normal crying?
Jaqwiana Baker, MD: a normal cry would be some of those things we mentioned earlier. So if they're hungry or if they have a dirty diaper. And so those cries typically get better as soon as you. Fix the problem. So if they're hungry and you feed them and the crying stops, you know, that was a simple cry. So a typical cry is only gonna last for a few minutes, and it's easy to feed them. A colic cry or a baby with colic, they will cry continuously for hours at a time, regardless of your suiting techniques. And so if a baby is crying continuously for three or more hours, and you've tried multiple soothing techniques, you've changed their diapers. You fed them and nothing's working, then that's when you wanna say, hey, this may be colic.
Caitlin Whyte: Well, you mentioned that you need to kind of keep yourself calm as the parent or guardian first. So what should you do if you are frustrated by your babies crying?
Jaqwiana Baker, MD: A new baby, of course, is very stressful, and a baby with colic is even more stressful. So, If you find yourself getting stressed out or frustrated because your baby is crying for long periods of time, that's when it's time for you to take a break. You wanna be able to take a break, walk away, and know when to ask for help. you wanna be able to ask another parent or grandparent, aunt, whoever is in circle someone else that can have a support system with someone that can help you when you need that break and realizing that you need a break is very important.
Caitlin Whyte: Absolutely. Well then when is it time to reach out to your doctor? How do you know when it's gotten to a level where that would be of good service for you?
Jaqwiana Baker, MD: you wanna reach out to your doctor if you have any concerns for colleagues. So if your baby is crying for multiple hours at a time, then you definitely wanna go in and see your doctor. Also, if your baby has fever, that is another reason to get checked out. Or if you have any other concern.
Caitlin Whyte: Well, Doctor, as we wrap up here, how can parents establish a healthy routine for themselves and their baby?
Jaqwiana Baker, MD: Routines are very important to babies. And so that also helps them with knowing when it's nap time, bedtime so that they're not overstimulated. And so developing this healthy routine, you wanna practice consistency you wanna have a consistent bedtime routine, and you wanna try to do the same things at the same time each day. So you have an average time where you know this is the time where we're feeding, this is our time where we take a nap. This is our time where we take a bath and this is our bedtime. And you wanna try to keep that consistency on a everyday basis.
Caitlin Whyte: Well thank you so much for your time, Dr. Baker. I just know that we helped some frustrated parents and guardians out there today. For more information and other podcasts just like this one, head on over to prismahealth.org/flourish. This has been Flourish, a podcast brought to you by Prisma Health. I'm Caitlin Whyte. Stay well.
Caitlin Whyte: The never ending crying of a colicky baby could drive any parent or guardian crazy. But our team at Prisma Health is here to help you out. Today we are joined by a pediatrician, Dr. Jaqwiana Baker, for some tips and tricks for caring for a colicky baby. This is Flourish, A podcast brought to you by Prisma Health. I'm Caitlin Whyte. So Dr. Baker to start us off today. Is it possible to spoil a newborn by picking them up whenever they cry?
Jaqwiana Baker, MD: Well, according to experts, you cannot spoil a baby by picking them up when they cry. Infants need constant attention, and so you wanna respond calmly and consistently to your baby's cries.
Caitlin Whyte: Gotcha. So why do infants cry?
Jaqwiana Baker, MD: Infants can cry for a lot of different reasons. As your baby grows, you will learn the difference in each type of cry that your baby may have. So some of the reasons could be one, being tired, sleepy, or overstimulated. So when babies are ready to go to bed or take a nap, they can often get fussy and cry. If babies are hungry, you will have a specific cry for that. If they are uncomfortable or in pain. So things like, Oh, I need to burp, or I have gas, or constipation. Those things make babies uncomfortable and they can cry for that. Also, you may have a cry if a baby is sick or has fever, and then one of the biggest things that we always worry about is colic. And that is also a specific cry in babies.
Caitlin Whyte: Well, in general, when babies are crying, whatever the reason, how can we calm a crying baby?
Jaqwiana Baker, MD: so The first thing in order to calm a crying baby is to make sure that you're calm yourself. So a baby kind of picks up cues off of their parents. And so if you're stressed, they're gonna be stressed too. But if they're crying, you can also try things like swaddling the baby in a blanket. You can try rocking them or even playing some white noise in the room to calm them.
Caitlin Whyte: So then when you try those things, what should you do if your baby still can't be soothed? Would this be considered colic?
Jaqwiana Baker, MD: colic by definition is if a baby is crying continuously for three or more hours. If your baby is crying, you've tried everything that you know how to do to calm them down, and a few hours go by. This is something you wanna get seen by a doctor for. Okay. And so we recommend if your baby's crying at least two hours or more each day or multiple days, you definitely wanna say, hey, it's time to take our baby in to see their pediatrician, just to make sure it's not colic or anything else such as any kind of illness.
Caitlin Whyte: Okay. Okay. So when it comes down to it, what is colic and what is normal crying?
Jaqwiana Baker, MD: a normal cry would be some of those things we mentioned earlier. So if they're hungry or if they have a dirty diaper. And so those cries typically get better as soon as you. Fix the problem. So if they're hungry and you feed them and the crying stops, you know, that was a simple cry. So a typical cry is only gonna last for a few minutes, and it's easy to feed them. A colic cry or a baby with colic, they will cry continuously for hours at a time, regardless of your suiting techniques. And so if a baby is crying continuously for three or more hours, and you've tried multiple soothing techniques, you've changed their diapers. You fed them and nothing's working, then that's when you wanna say, hey, this may be colic.
Caitlin Whyte: Well, you mentioned that you need to kind of keep yourself calm as the parent or guardian first. So what should you do if you are frustrated by your babies crying?
Jaqwiana Baker, MD: A new baby, of course, is very stressful, and a baby with colic is even more stressful. So, If you find yourself getting stressed out or frustrated because your baby is crying for long periods of time, that's when it's time for you to take a break. You wanna be able to take a break, walk away, and know when to ask for help. you wanna be able to ask another parent or grandparent, aunt, whoever is in circle someone else that can have a support system with someone that can help you when you need that break and realizing that you need a break is very important.
Caitlin Whyte: Absolutely. Well then when is it time to reach out to your doctor? How do you know when it's gotten to a level where that would be of good service for you?
Jaqwiana Baker, MD: you wanna reach out to your doctor if you have any concerns for colleagues. So if your baby is crying for multiple hours at a time, then you definitely wanna go in and see your doctor. Also, if your baby has fever, that is another reason to get checked out. Or if you have any other concern.
Caitlin Whyte: Well, Doctor, as we wrap up here, how can parents establish a healthy routine for themselves and their baby?
Jaqwiana Baker, MD: Routines are very important to babies. And so that also helps them with knowing when it's nap time, bedtime so that they're not overstimulated. And so developing this healthy routine, you wanna practice consistency you wanna have a consistent bedtime routine, and you wanna try to do the same things at the same time each day. So you have an average time where you know this is the time where we're feeding, this is our time where we take a nap. This is our time where we take a bath and this is our bedtime. And you wanna try to keep that consistency on a everyday basis.
Caitlin Whyte: Well thank you so much for your time, Dr. Baker. I just know that we helped some frustrated parents and guardians out there today. For more information and other podcasts just like this one, head on over to prismahealth.org/flourish. This has been Flourish, a podcast brought to you by Prisma Health. I'm Caitlin Whyte. Stay well.